Meniscus Formation in a Vertical Capillary Tube

In this theoretical work, the energies associated with the formation of a meniscus in a small diameter capillary tube are analyzed. A mechanism for meniscus creation and an associated energy balance are proposed. Equations for work of wetting, surface energy, gravitational energy, and dissipation are derived. The relative magnitude of these quantities is compared, first to each other and then to energies from capillary rise. In capillary rise, the energy released as work of wetting is evenly split between gravitational energy stored in the liquid column and heat dissipated there. The analysis performed here suggests that meniscus formation is energetically distinct and more complex than capillary rise. In meniscus formation, most of the energy released as work of wetting is stored in the stretched air-liquid interface or dissipated in the bulk liquid; their relative distribution depends on the properties of the liquid and the tube.